So Weezer (finally) dropped Black Album on the first of this month. This goes without saying but… I have opinions. I want to preface this: I am not here to talk about Teal anymore. I am not here to talk about their two albums in the works. I am not here to talk about Fortnight island (???). This would all require a book, not an article. Besides that, I simply don’t know what to think about some of these things… I am here to discuss the MUSIC on the Black Album. ALSO: I don’t even want to talk about “California Snow,” all I’m going to say is that it’s the one track I genuinely don’t care for.
I feel like I have to first separate the singles from the rest of the album. That is because when the singles (“Can’t Knock the Hustle,” “Zombie Bastards,” “High as a Kite,” and *deep breath because wow so many* “Living in LA”) were released I felt that they all fit with the same vibe that Black Album had promised (keeping in mind that Rivers Cuomo has made it clear that each album, atleast color albums, has a different “theme,” which would explain why I can play a “guess the album” game with myself in the car). At most, I would say “High as a Kite” (one of my favorites off the album departs from this vibe, one that’s edgier and darker than the Weezer we may know, the most out of singles, but even then the end of the song brings it back. “Can’t Knock the Hustle” and “Zombie Bastards” fit the most with the theme and are very musically interesting and good, even if the concept for both is a bit weird (and, dare I say… funky). “Living in LA” is going to be the closest Weezer song to a typical Top 40. It’s still a little different, this is Weezer we’re talking about, but the more I listen the more I can imagine more contemporary and popular artists releasing the same or similar thing. “Living in LA” STAYS stuck in my head at work.
Now for the new tracks. My first listen, during which I was half-asleep, left me with the impression that all the effort was put into the singles and that the rest… sounded like the same song. However, listening again in a fully cognitive state allowed me to actually listen and find some gems. “Byzantine” and “Too Many Thoughts in My Head” shine in terms of uniqueness and the potential to be put on loop. I think “Byzantine” is very sweet sounding and makes me feel happy to listen to (great imagery, I know, thank you, degree me…) “Too Many Thoughts in My Head” may be the only track left that has some real edginess, like what we were promised, to it. Overall, I definitely don’t dislike any of the songs. Any album is gonna have some flops (*cough* California Snow). At worst, most of the other songs weren’t BAD, they just didn’t leave an impression on me.
Top tracks: Byzantine, High as a Kite